Two Mumbaikars fall prey to online fraud

An ophthalmologist from Malad and a day-care employee from Andheri have become the latest victims of online fraud, losing Rs 14.08 lakh and Rs 1.08 lakh, respectively.

According to the FIR filed by the doctor, the money was withdrawn from his account on May 13 in a series of eight transactions. During the course of his follow-ups, the doctor discovered that his SIM card was deactivated nearly two months ago, even as he was using it, and a SIM of the same number was given to an unknown person.

“The money was taken out on May 13. But it was only on July 15, when my accountant saw the bank statement, that I discovered that the sum had been withdrawn. Through my own inquiries I found that someone had deactivated my SIM and taken a SIM of my number using false documents. I had not applied for deactivation. When my patients complained they could not reach me, I went to my service provider to replace my SIM,” the doctor, who did not wish to be named, told Mirror.

The bank told him that they had sent the OTP (one-time password) of the transaction to his registered mobile number, but he did not get any alerts as the SIM was deactivated. “This is identity theft. I have not carried out any online transaction from the account for the last two years. It looks like I was marked and the fraud was carried out by systematic planning. First my SIM was deactivated. Then my registered email ID for the bank account was changed.

My username and password were compromised, and the money was withdrawn. Our data is not safe. People should rush to the gallery immediately if the SIM does not work. These days with dual SIMs you don’t realise if a number is not working,” he said.

The bank has decided to credit the amount to his account pending investigations. Sources said that it is investigating the case. “The account was active since August 2018. He told the bank about the withdrawals two months later. His new number is not registered with us yet. His account username and password remain the same. We have provided him relief by crediting the amount to his account pending investigation,” a source said.

In the case of the day-care employee, the money was withdrawn in a series of transactions as she was trying to make an online payment of Rs 10 on a job portal where she had a registered account.

As per her FIR at Andheri police station, the employee got a call from an unknown person asking if she was looking for a job change and asked her to recharge her account with a sum of Rs 10. The employee used her debit card to pay the amount, but the transaction failed even as six OTPs were generated. The unknown caller then asked her to use another card.

The second debit card generated four OTPs, but the fourth time she got an alert on her phone that various sums were withdrawn from her account. A little later she got another alert that sums were withdrawn from her second account all totalling up to Rs 1.08 lakh.

Andheri senior inspector Lalasaheb Shetye told Mirror that the case was under investigation.